How to Transfer PC Games to Steam Deck [Step-by-Step Guide]

Steam Deck is a popular handheld gaming computer. Steam supports both handheld gaming and PC gaming experiences. Transferring files from PC to PC is not a difficult task anymore. However, can you move your PC games to Steam Deck to enjoy all your games on Steam? Don't worry. Keep reading. This article will provide a detailed guide for transferring PC games to Steam Deck.

Can You Transfer PC Games to Steam Deck?

The quick answer is: Yes, you can transfer PC games to Steam Deck.

With the constant updates to Steam Deck, Valve offers gamers multiple options for downloading games on both PC and Steam Deck. Valve allows you to copy game installations between PCs (or Steam Deck) by rolling out updates to the Steam client. But you need to have the latest version of Steam and the latest Steam Deck update on your PC. And you also need to make sure that both devices can find each other on your local network.

You can also transfer PC games to Steam Deck if your game transfer option doesn't work for other reasons, but you need to use the one-click migration feature to transfer downloaded Steam games from your PC to SSD or SD card of Steam Deck.

Read on for detailed guides on migrating games to Steam Deck.

Further Reading: Transfer Xbox Games to PC

How to Transfer PC Games to Steam Deck - Two Ways 

Here are two ways to move games to Steam Deck. The first method is to move the game to the SSD or SD card of Steam Deck with the help of a professional game transfer tool - EaseUS Todo PCTrans.

Method 2 is to migrate directly through the Steam client. Both methods have some advantages and disadvantages:

In short, there are more requirements when transferring directly via Steam. EaseUS Todo PCTrans offers a more convenient option for transferring games to Steam. Let's take a look at the detailed steps.

Transfer PC Games to Steam Deck via EaseUS Todo PCTrans

To transfer the game to a Steam Deck SSD or SD card, you need to detach the drive from the Steam Deck and connect the SD card to the PC via an SD card reader or directly to the SSD. Then download and use EaseUS Todo PCTrans on the PC.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans is an all-in-one data transfer and recovery tool. It has the following transfer features:

• It lets you transfer games from PC to Steam Deck without losing data.
• It breaks the limitations of the Steam Deck version and allows you to share data easily.
• It supports to transfer of games at a fast speed.
• It can safely transfer even if there are a large number of PC games.

In short, this tool will help you successfully migrate your games to Steam Deck with just a few clicks:

Step 1. Run EaseUS Todo PCTrans to start

Run EaseUS Todo PCTrans on your Windows 10/8.1/8/7 computer. Navigate to the "App Migration" transfer mode and click "Start".

Step 2. Choose the games you want to transfer

On the left bar, you need to choose the drive where the games are installed. Next, find the games you want to transfer and tick the box. Since you're going to move the selected games to the SSD, click triangle icon to set the SSD as the target location. Finally, click "Transfer".

Step 3. Initiate the transfer process

EaseUS Todo PCTrans will start immediately to migrate the games from one hard drive to the SSD. Wait for the process to complete.

In addition, EaseUS Todo PCTrans has an extensive range of features, such as

• Move Apps to external storage 
• Move games from C drive to D drive
• Quickly transfer videos, photos, and MS Office files
• Easily transfer user accounts and settings

If you have any transfer needs, EaseUS Todo Trans can give you great help. It's one of the greatest data migration software. And if you think it's useful for you to transfer games to Steam, you can also share this passage with others in need.

Transfer PC Games to Steam Deck via the Internet

If you don't want to resort to other third-party software, you can transfer PC games to Steam Deck directly via the Internet. But you need to be prepared for the following:

• Ensure both devices are connected to Steam and can find each other on the local network.
• Both devices must be updated to the latest version.
• Both Steam accounts must allow file transfers.
• Files can only be transferred without active downloads or running games.
• The game being transferred needs to be released to the public and available for both Steam users to play.
• The game must be up-to-date on the PC where the game files are being sent.
• Only PCs running in Steam desktop mode can send files. PCs in screen mode and custom launchers cannot transfer files over local networks.

Once you understand this list of requirements for local game transfer to work properly, you are ready to transfer PC games to Steam Deck. Please refer to the following three guides for specific steps:

Guide 1. Update Steam and Steam Deck

Steam Deck's game transfer feature on the local network is tied to the beta version of Steam Deck. You will need to enable the beta version of Steam on both Steam Deck and the Steam client on your PC, ensuring that both devices can easily communicate and transfer games.

To access the beta version of Steam on a PC:

Step 1. Open Steam and select the menu in the upper left corner.

Step 2. Look for "Beta participation" under the account section of the settings options.

Step 3. Select Steam Beta Update from the drop-down menu and click "OK."

To access the Steam Beta on Steam Deck:

Step 1. Open Steam Deck and press the Steam button on the left side.

Step 2. Click on Settings and check for updates in System Settings.

Step 3. Select "Beta" from the System Update Channel drop-down list.

Guide 2. Allow Transfers of Games Between Steam Devices

After updating your Steam devices, you must ensure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then check the settings to see if you can transfer files from your Steam settings:

Step 1. Open Steam and click on Settings in the top left corner of the app.

Step 2. Click on "Downloads" in the settings.

Step 3. Select allow file transfers in the "Game Files Transfer over Local Network" drop-down list.

These same settings will also appear in Steam Deck, so make sure both are updated so you can share files.

Guide 3. Transfer Games to Steam Deck

When you update your Steam version and ensure that both PC games and Steam Deck are on the same network, Steam will automatically transfer files from your PC instead of downloading them from the Web:

When local network transfer is enabled and possible, the client will automatically start the game file transfer. If the connection is lost or no more content is available, Steam will download the remaining content from the public Steam content server.

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Conclusion

Moving PC games to Steam Deck sounds like a difficult thing to do. But this article gives two straightforward methods. Moving games via the Steam client requires the devices to be up-to-date, and many additional conditions must be met.

Fortunately, with EaseUS Todo PCTrans, you can bypass these troublesome requirements. The tool guarantees 100% data loss-free, secure, and quick game transfer. If you want to transfer a PC game to Steam Deck, this tool can give you a wise choice.

Transfer PC Games to Steam Deck FAQs

This passage offers two ways to transfer PC games to Steam Deck. And this part will provide some short answers to the frequently asked questions about today's topic. Hope it can solve more of your confusion.

1. How can I transfer Steam games to another PC?

Here are several ways to transfer Steam games to another PC. You can transfer Steam games quickly and safely via the "PC to PC" feature of EaseUS Todo PCTrans or via a Steam Account:

Step 1. Sign in to your Steam account on your old computer.

Step 2. Select Steam's Backup and Restore Games feature.

Step 3. Select the games you want to transfer and click Next.

2. Can you transfer Xbox games to Steam?

Of course, you can transfer Xbox games to Steam Deck. The process only involves finding where Steam saves your games and moving the Xbox save file to this folder, replacing the Steam save file.

3. How to transfer Oculus games to Steam?

You can connect your Oculus Quest VR headset to your PC, download SteamVR, and then you should be able to play all your favorite Steam games using your Oculus Quest headset.